Bleak future for curry restaurants (From Wimbledon Guardian)

Bleak future for curry restaurants

8:23am Thursday 10th January 2008

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Curry restaurants face an "unprecedented crisis" because of tough new immigration laws, Epsom restaurant owner and British Curry Awards founder Enam Ali says.

Mr Ali said restaurant owners were struggling to fill thousands of vacancies for skilled curry chefs and staff because changes to laws were forcing them to take on unskilled EU workers rather than employees from the subcontinent.

While the changes were threatening expansion plans for the £3.2billion industry, Mr Ali said, at worst they could force some restaurants to close.

He said most Europeans don't have a clue about the spices used in good curry.

Mr Ali said curry restaurants needed a special dispensation from the English language requirements in the new points-based immigration system.

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